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Whale of a task

Japan’s whaling fleet set sail for the Antarctic this week. It is aiming to kill 333 minke whales for what it claims is scientific research in the country’s first hunt for two years. Japan was ordered to stop whaling in March 2014 by the UN International Court of Justice, but has decided unilaterally to defy the ruling.

Rhino horns legal again

It’s legal to sell rhino horns again in South Africa after a judge lifted a 2009 ban on trade, ruling in favour of two private rhino breeders. Edna Molewa, the country’s environment minister, vowed to appeal against the decision, which could undermine the global ban on trade in rhino horns.

Driller thriller sets sail

Mantle, here we come. For the first time, geologists are hoping to drill through Earth’s crust to reach its boundary with the underlying mantle, which could harbour microbial life. A team set sail this week aboard the JOIDES Resolution research ship for a drill site in the Indian Ocean where the crust is unusually shallow.

Space-station supply

You can’t keep a good spacecraft down. On 3 December, Orbital ATK is set to launch its first Cygnus supply craft to the International Space Station since October last year. The previous one was destroyed when its Antares rocket blew up on launch. This time, Orbital will use an Atlas V launch vehicle from fellow rocket firm United Launch Alliance.

Organ opt-out

Wales has become the first country in the UK to introduce an opt-out system for organ donation. Unless they opt out, adults living in Wales will be presumed to have given consent for their organs to be donated when they die. This is expected to boost the supply of donated organs by a quarter.